Texas deregulated most of the state's electricity markets in 2002, a move aimed at lowering electricity costs by letting consumers choose their own electric power providers and their own plans. Some parts of Texas continued to be regulated, including those that get power from municipal utilities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities that operate outside the state's primary power grid.
Twenty-nine states have deregulated electricity, natural gas or both. That allows you to shop for the supply portion of your bill from alternative providers who may offer rates lower than the default supplier – usually a utility. Delivery services and billing will remain the responsibility of the local utility as they own the power lines and wires that keep the lights on.
That means that customers in Houston paid an average of $5,500 more for electricity over a 14-year time span beginning in 2002, according to the group that buys electricity on behalf of municipal governments in Texas. The calculation, which uses data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, assumes monthly electricity use of 1,300 kilowatt hours.
Electric bills for customers in the Houston area can more than double in summer months, mainly because air conditioning. Not coincidentally, electric rates also rise in the summer months because of this increase in demand. The most dramatic rate increases occur in month-to-month plans, but electric rates do increase across the board for all fixed-rate contract lengths.

As a residential or commercial customer, you’ll enjoy competitive rates, flexible contracts, and personalized plans that give you the power to choose what’s best for you. And we offer no-deposit electricity for well-qualified customers and deposit payment plans for those with less than desirable credit so that switching retail electric providers won’t break the bank.‡ When you switch to Amigo Energy today, you’ll switch on the power of convenience and affordability.

Even though customers in deregulated cities routinely pay more for electricity, there is a bright spot. The gap between the average price paid for electricity between deregulated cities like Houston and regulated cities like San Antonio have dwindled to the narrowest point ever to 8.8 percent. Back in 2006, customers in deregulated cities were paying nearly 47 percent more for electricity than their counterparts in regulated cities.
It is unlikely that you’ll see any change at all. You will be receiving the same electricity as you always have been, just from a different company. The only difference you definitely will see will be smaller charges for your electricity. By using our price comparison service you’ll be able to cut costs to your energy tariffs and save more money on electricity and gas.
If you live in the greater Houston area, there are over 60 different energy suppliers competing for your business. Many of these providers have websites that are confusing and difficult to navigate, their rates buried in misleading advertising and dense jargon. Who has the time to sort through and keep track of options across all these different sites?
Texas electricity deregulation has given millions of Houston residents and businesses the power to choose the cheapest electricity rate. According to ERCOT, over 92% of Texas homes and businesses who live in deregulated areas have switched electric companies since deregulation began in 2002. Even though electric choice in Texas has been hugely successful for energy savings, customers are still confused by the options, terminology, and overall process of switching electric providers.
In Dallas, 0% of people have switched to a plan that has some renewable energy component to it. Another 0% have switched to a plan that is partially renewable, while 0% have switched to a plan that powers homes completely by renewable electricity. This of course means that 100% of people have remained on a plan powered by traditional sources of electricity such as coal or nuclear power.
Looking for the cheapest energy rates from the best light companies in Texas? With Quick Electricity, you have the power to choose your home or business energy plan from the top rated electric companies in Texas. Whether you’re looking for prepaid electricity companies for pay as you go electric, a 1-24 month fixed energy rate plan or solar panels, we will help you find the most affordable plan to suit your needs. Most energy companies in Texas have a free same day connection and some offer no deposit and no credit check electricity for those with credit problems. To make the switch easier for our customers, Quick Electricity has partnered with the #1 prepaid electricity provider in Texas, Payless Power. Prepaid energy is the best way to get your lights on today for a small fee of $30. For assistance, give us a call at (877) 509-8946.

Keeping on top: With deregulation, a whole host of electric resellers jumped into the market because there’s a whole lot of electricity to sell: if Texas were a country, it’d be the 11th largest electricity consumer in the world! Just by itself, it uses as much electricity as Spain or Great Britain! That means there’s a whole lot of information you have to find, absorb, and process to make sure you’re getting the best rate for your needs.

Customers can find deals in competitive electricity markets if they take the time and effort to look at web sites such as powertochoose.org, the official comparison shopping site of the Public Utility Commission. The study cited a PUC survey of retail electricity offerings in Houston that showed nine deals in March that were lower than the regulated price of electricity in San Antonio.

Electric rates for companies vary greatly by industry and function. Although homes come in all shapes and sizes, businesses have larger variations with diverse needs – from industrial buildings to mom-and-pop businesses. In July, for example, the average business in Oregon paid 9.41 cents per kWh. With this number, we can deduce that on average companies in the state paid about $591 that month for electricity.
Ironically, technology can make the utilities’ problem worse, not better—at least in the short term. In the past, grids were developed because it was cheaper to generate large quantities of power and distribute it over wide distances, rather then generate smaller quantities closer to the place of use. It is for this reason that electricity is seen as a business that benefits from “economies of scale”.
Houston, TX Mission, TX Fort Worth, TX Dallas, TX Midland, TX Mcallen, TX Pearland, TX Corpus Christi, TX Big Spring, TX Alvin, TX Katy, TX Abilene, TX Sugar Land, TX Arlington, TX Laredo, TX Galveston, TX Missouri City, TX Harlingen, TX Loraine, TX Edinburg, TX Plano, TX Richmond, TX Cypress, TX Baytown, TX Killeen, TX Friendswood, TX Grand Prairie, TX Mesquite, TX Angleton, TX Tyler, TX Humble, TX Eagle Pass, TX Eden, TX Allen, TX Carrollton, TX Belton, TX San Benito, TX Irving, TX Mansfield, TX Lewisville, TX
No deposit electricity plans also offer a subjective advantages. Thanks to smart meters, electricity providers can offer you smartphone apps that send notifications when your balance is getting low, so you can purchase more kilowatt-hours before your account drops to zero. However, this also means you will track your energy consumption more frequently, as opposed to only once per billing period. Energy consumers who monitor their kilowatt-hour usage tend to consume less energy that those who only wait for power bills once per billing period.

Electricity pricing (sometimes referred to as electricity tariff or the price of electricity) varies widely from country to country and may vary significantly from locality to locality within a particular country. Many factors go into determining an electricity tariff, such as the price of power generation, government subsidies, local weather patterns, transmission and distribution infrastructure, and industry regulation. “Electricity prices generally reflect the cost to build, finance, maintain, and operate power plants and the electricity grid.”[1] Some utilities are for-profit, and their prices will also include a financial return for shareholders and owners. Electricity tariffs vary by type of customer, typically by residential, commercial, and industrial connections. Electricity price forecasting is the method by which a generator, utility company, or large industrial consumer can predict the wholesale prices of electricity with reasonable accuracy. The cost to supply electricity varies minute by minute.[1]

Simply Switch is a trading name of MoneyExpert Limited. MoneyExpert does not give advice on or recommend any particular insurance product or service or whether it is suitable for your personal circumstances. The information provided is to help you to make your own choice about how to proceed. MoneyExpert is an appointed representative of MoneyExpert Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by The Financial Services Authority FRN 557120.

Simply Switch is a trading name of MoneyExpert Limited. MoneyExpert does not give advice on or recommend any particular insurance product or service or whether it is suitable for your personal circumstances. The information provided is to help you to make your own choice about how to proceed. MoneyExpert is an appointed representative of MoneyExpert Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by The Financial Services Authority FRN 557120.

For example, in 2012, Hawaii residents had the highest average residential electricity rate in the United States (37.34¢/kWh), while Louisiana residents had the lowest average residential electricity costs (8.37¢/kWh). Even in the contiguous United States the gap is significant, with New York residents having the highest average residential electricity rates in the lower 48 U.S. states (17.62¢/kWh).[6]
Texas deregulated most of the state's electricity markets in 2002, a move aimed at lowering electricity costs by letting consumers choose their own electric power providers and their own plans. Some parts of Texas continued to be regulated, including those whose power is proved by municipally-owned utilities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities that operate outside the state's primary power grid.
Energy deregulation has been in place for several years however there are still a lot of people who are confused or who have not fully understand the implications, structure, details and workings of energy deregulation. Many simply know that energy deregulation means people now have the power to choose their electric companies – a diversion from the previous system where a single utility company provides services for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

Twenty-nine states have deregulated electricity, natural gas or both. That allows you to shop for the supply portion of your bill from alternative providers who may offer rates lower than the default supplier – usually a utility. Delivery services and billing will remain the responsibility of the local utility as they own the power lines and wires that keep the lights on.